


STARLORD.

by petitseok



Series: 내 편이 돼줘 (BY MY SIDE.) [5]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Caregiver!Minghao, Caregiver!Mingyu, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Regressor!Soonyoung, Regressor!Wonwoo, each chapter [kind of] works like a oneshot, you need to read at least ease for this to make sense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:08:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25093630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitseok/pseuds/petitseok
Summary: “aren’t they pretty?” soonyoung whispered. wonwoo felt his hand rest on his waist.the younger little nodded, tracing the star with his fingertip.pretty and cool,he wanted to say.just like me. just like hyungie said.// between double dates and playdates, wonwoo and soonyoung bond
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: 내 편이 돼줘 (BY MY SIDE.) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577752
Comments: 23
Kudos: 94





	1. one

“what if he doesn’t like me?” wonwoo sniffled against the cold. “what if he thinks i’m too quiet?”

he pressed himself into mingyu’s side, latched onto his arm as they walked to the subway station. his coat felt rough and warm under his fingers and it gave him something to focus on even as his thoughts ran wild.

“it’s literally illegal for anyone to dislike you, jeon wonwoo,” mingyu jested, patting his hand. “he’s going to love you, okay?“

still, it had been a long time since wonwoo had been to anything as intimate as a  _ double date _ with anyone other than seokmin and joshua, and he was starting to feel the pressure of it.

even though he had met minghao and soonyoung before, it was under very different circumstances and he had no idea how different their regular personalities differed from how he knew them a week prior.

as far as wonwoo was concerned, soonyoung could be a completely different type of person outside of his headspace. little wonwoo may have adored little soonyoung, but big wonwoo may not have the same attraction towards big soonyoung.

that was what scared him the most. luckily, he had mingyu to dispel that anxiety from his mind. 

“if anything minghao has told me is true, then you and soonyoung-hyung will click. i guarantee it.”

the younger constantly messaged minghao for a little more than aweek after they met at the pottery studio, and they seemed to be getting along well. apparently, the two were the same age and had a similar passion towards artsy things like fashion and phenomenal instagram photos— things that wonwoo and soonyoung were practically hopeless in.

through their conversations, which apparently included a lot of talking about their respective partners, mingyu managed to learn that soonyoung was the same age as wonwoo, was working on a master’s degree, and was a little obsessed with tigers.

that was everything wonwoo knew about soonyoung.

and now he was going to meet him. he and mingyu and minghao and soonyoung were going to ‘catch up’ and eat chinese takeout together at minghao’s fancy condo.

the whole affair seemed too casual for meeting someone for the second time ever, but mingyu made a big deal out of it anyway, going through three outfits before wonwoo pointed out that his coat would cover up his clothes, so it didn’t matter if he just wore jeans and a t-shirt.

wonwoo’s coat wasn’t quite as stylish— neither was the rest of his outfit— but it did keep him warm in the nipping cold of the fall night. mingyu slipped a beanie over his hair with a smile, too, booping his nose and making him blush.

he could still feel some of the embarrassing heat in his cheeks even as he poured out his worries about the dinner. “what if it’s awkward?” he says quietly.

mingyu, used to these kinds of worries, just shook his head, “i’m not gonna _leave_ _you_ , i’ll be with you the whole time. besides, nothing is awkward when i’m around.”

“you're just lying to make me feel better,” wonwoo grumbled. he could see the subway station, and the thought of being on the train during heavy commuting hours made his chest tighten.

admittedly, mingyu was not the worst when it came to social functions. he was perfectly amicable and charming to anyone he met, but he had a nasty habit of making lame puns that no one but wonwoo seemed to find funny.

“when have i ever lied to you?” mingyu led them down the steps. “and i’m not letting you out of my sight, okay? i’ve got you.”

wonwoo wasn’t sure whether he meant at the train station or minghao’s, but he felt soothed nonetheless. he could count on mingyu to look out for him.

the station was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. as they waited, mingyu slung an arm around wonwoo’s shoulders, the shorter changing his hold from the sleeve to the side of his coat. 

the train car was full when they finally got on. mingyu managed to grab an overhead ring and wonwoo decided that burying his face into the taller’s chest to fight through a couple of breathing exercises was better than accidentally annoying any of the other passengers around them. 

it wasn’t littlespace level anxiety, but it was still stressful in a small space with a lot of people. mingyu anchored him through it, never forcing him to let go and rubbing circles into his back with his free hand. 

getting off the train at their stop cleared his head again. the cool air lifted the weight off his chest, and mingyu pulled him in the right direction. 

“wow, it looks like myungho has a nice place,” mingyu mused, looking between the directions on his phone and the large building just in front of them. 

“maybe his decorating taste is terrible,” wonwoo said, not wanting to give their new friend too much credit.

“impossible.”

_ “you’re _ impossible.”

once the couple made it to the correct floor, wonwoo held mingyu’s hand and allowed the younger to knock on the door. he could feel his boyfriend rub his thumb over his knuckles as comfort, and wonwoo had never felt so lucky to have him. 

minghao answered the door. he looked up at them and immediately smiled in recognition. “hey, you made it! come in, the food just got here.”

well— it turned out that minghao’s taste in interior design was quite pleasant. 

the walls were dark gray and the floor was light hardwood, splashes of color in the furniture and art that struck wonwoo as very minghao-esque. 

wonwoo slipped off his shoes and followed blindly mingyu further into the home. the last rays of the sun fit the palette of the condo well, and it felt warm in a comforting way. almost cozy, but undoubtedly posh in comparison to their own apartment.

soonyoung was sitting in the living room, tapping on his phone while draped over the couch. he looked nice in black jeans and a dark green flannel, cheeks bunching as he looked up at his guests.

“wonu!” soonyoung rolled off the couch, phone tossed aside in favor of crushing wonwoo in a hug. “i missed you, bro!”

“i barely know you,” wonwoo snorted even as he hugged his newest friend back.

soonyoung pulled away, pouting, “yeah, but that doesn’t mean i can’t miss you. it’s not like i got to talk to you.”

minghao’s mouth fell open, “if you wanted to text him so badly, you could have asked me to get his number, idiot.”

“i was nervous,” he shot back with a frown. 

wonwoo glanced away from the interaction to the rest of the room. in front of the couch was a glass coffee table and against the wall, a television. there was another chair, but the floor was spacious enough the sit on the floor if they so wished.

he didn’t know if they had a kitchen table or if they merely elected not to use it like wonwoo and mingyu did. the coffee table was covered in take out boxes, two pillows laying on either side of it as seats. 

“we should probably just eat,” soonyoung grumbled. “myungho-yah, how could you keep your guests waiting?” 

so the four of them settled around the table, mingyu pulling wonwoo onto the pillow beside him so that the couples faced each other.

in mingyu fashion, the younger launched into a comment about how he had tried making chinese food once— had made it for wonwoo, in fact, and it wasn’t that bad— and the restaurants that he liked. 

minghao easily went along and offered opinions on his own favorite restaurants, revealing that his favorite— the one they were eating from tonight— was close by.

wonwoo couldn’t tell if soonyoung was paying attention since the older was already digging into the dish in front of him, only humming when minghao finished a sentence to make it  _ seem like _ he was following along.

at some point, wonwoo didn’t bother hiding the fact that he wasn’t listening to either mingyu or minghao. he tried, he really did, but all they talked about was cooking and wine and fashion and it would have put wonwoo to sleep if he thought about it too hard.

soonyoung was much easier to pay attention to. even if they weren’t talking to each other, wonwoo and soonyoung still caught each other’s eyes from across the table, sometimes bursting into awkward laughter when one of them tried to eat too much in one bite. 

that was something wonwoo already found himself appreciating about soonyoung. they didn’t know each other that well and weren’t talking, but soonyoung still kept wonwoo’s attention and made him laugh to himself. 

“...and soonyoung bombs my photos so much that followers keep asking for his instagram even though he doesn’t even have one,” minghao concludes, evidently talking about his flourishing social media page that mingyu had shown wonwoo several times after they met the couple. 

minghao’s instagram was carefully crafted around his fashion work and art. wonwoo didn’t really understand what he did, but he recognized by his following alone that whatever it was, it was coming along well. 

soonyoung was in a lot of the photos wonwoo saw, usually in a fancy store or dressing room, often hiding his face bashfully in some way. he was rather cute, even when he was wearing a name brand sweater that probably cost more than wonwoo and mingyu’s rent.

“well, he’s good at taking your photos,” mingyu pointed out. “they can’t all be mirror selfies.”

“aish, i don’t even know what they’re talking about,” soonyoung complained, digging into his food for another bite. 

the offhand comment pulled a smile from wonwoo. “no personal instagram account?” he teased despite not having one himself. 

“i’m so inept at technology that  _ hao-hao _ refuses to help me open an instagram, so i figured it wasn’t worth it,” he whined, then stuffed his mouth with noodles. “you?”

“i don’t really like a lot of social media…”

“‘sn’t it stressful?” he swallowed. “i had twitter for two days and minghao said i should delete it because i couldn’t deal with the stress… so glad i didn’t keep it.”

soonyoung looked at minghao still trying to explain something to mingyu, and wonwoo saw nothing but fondness in his eyes. it was obvious that they needed each other, even if they didn’t express it in the most obvious ways.

“he really looks out for you, then,” wonwoo said softly.

the other just huffed out a laugh, gesturing to a distracted mingyu with his chopsticks. “just look at you and mingyu.”

wonwoo found himself blushing again, looking away to hide it even as soonyoung barreled on about the two of them, “i don’t really remember most of the pottery store, but i remember the look on your face when mingyu came back. i can tell he takes care of you.”

he kept eating like it was nothing, like exposing wonwoo’s emotional reliance on his boyfriend was a normal friday night for him.

“you took care of me, too,” he protested weakly. “you  _ and _ myungho. and he’s a good caregiver for you.”

this got soonyoung’s chopsticks to stop looking for his next bite. he didn’t raise his gaze, “you think so?”

“i know so,” he affirmed. he remembered every lingering look and touch of minghao’s towards soonyoung and he felt confident that he was right. “you complement each other. it just works.”

when they locked eyes again, wonwoo was met with resolution. soonyoung smiled appreciatively.

“i don’t remember a lot when i slip into headspace,” he revealed. “it’s kind of scary sometimes. my therapist told me it was something about my brain shutting down? and when i’m stressed i only focus on the thing that calms me down: being little and being looked after.”

he explained it so casually. he could have been talking about the weather. 

“wow,” wonwoo breathed.

soonyoung chuckled. “it’s weird. i don’t know how to avoid it yet... i know a lot of littles just regress on their own or do it for fun, but—“

“that’s not me.”

“...what?”

wonwoo sat a little straighter, clutching the hem of his shirt in his hands. he wanted to explain it for himself, “i don't like regressing unless i have to. my anxiety is so bad that it usually happens on its own, and if it doesn’t, then it takes a long time to ease into it.”

recognition. acceptance. “were you anxious when we met?”

“no, i— i don’t really know how it happened. i guess it was just,” he exhaled, “you.”

the whole table fell silent, mingyu and minghao having paused to eat, but the only thing wonwoo could focus on was soonyoung and the smile that he was trying to contain. 

then, he  _ giggled,  _ the sound bubbly and light and  _ very _ pretty. wonwoo laughed too, appreciated the hazy childishness of it.

the other two just glanced at them, missing the context for their sudden euphoria. after taking time to swallow, minghao joined in with his own tinkling giggle, although he seemed hesitant. 

“you guys are weird,” mingyu said through a smile. “what has you laughing all of a sudden?”

“wouldn’t  _ you _ like to know, pretty boy,” soonyoung smirked. 

mingyu quickly looked at wonwoo so his boyfriend would defend him, but the older did no such thing, even going as far as shoving his shoulder playfully. “yeah, i bet you would.”

“myungho, they’re bullying me,” he whined. 

minghao glared, kind of. “no one’s bullying you.”

“they are! hyungs shouldn’t bully their dongsaengs!”

soonyoung snickered, shoving more food into his mouth.

“hm, maybe you’re right,” minghao agreed, suddenly a little ominous. “i don’t think little boys should bully their daddies either.”

soonyoung choked. he took a minute to compose himself before slamming his hand on the table. having seen it coming, the noise being somewhat muted, it didn’t spook wonwoo badly and he instead agreed with soonyoung when the other little declared, “that is a  _ direct _ attack and i cannot allow it to stand.”

“are you sure, baby?” minghao cooed, dropping into the soft register that he had taken with the littles. wonwoo shivered.

that time, it was mingyu’s turn to snicker, “myungho is out for blood.”

“i’ll cry,” soonyoung threatened, glaring specifically at minghao. “i’ll cry, i’ll throw a fit  _ right here. _ then who’s going to be laughing?” wonwoo could already see him preparing fake tears, eyes glinting dangerously. 

unfortunately, the caregivers just cooed again, minghao reaching up and pinching his boyfriend’s adorable squishy cheek. mingyu ruffled wonwoo’s already messed up hair, and the little fought against the attack. the last thing he wanted was to accidentally slip again. he really wanted to spend time with soonyoung outside of his headspace. 

it seemed that soonyoung felt the same way about him. he gathered his boxes of food and stood up with a huff, nudging wonwoo with his foot and encouraging him to stand too. “c’mon, won, we’re going to the kitchen where we can talk like  _ adults.” _

wonwoo followed him blindly, perfectly content with giving himself that independence and space away from mingyu’s smug grin. 

“have fun!” said caregiver called.

“we’re going to talk about you!” minghao added.

soonyoung turned around and stuck his tongue out at both of them for good measure.

soonyoung pulled himself up onto the kitchen counter and began eating his food, evidently frustrated when he stabbed a piece of chicken with a chopstick. “stupid myungho thinks he can tease me without consequences. the only thing he’s going to get from that is a little  _ brat.” _

“you really didn’t like it, huh,” wonwoo observed. he didn’t know what to do with himself so he just leaned on the counter beside his friend. “let it out.”

soonyoung didn’t hesitate, “i’m not even that stressed! he’s just being stupid. i just don’t think he realizes what he can say  _ out _ of headspace that might make me go  _ into _ headspace. i’m not stressed, though, all i am is frustrated at him. i’m not stressed or anything.”

wonwoo listened to him say all that with chicken in his mouth. he posed a choking hazard to himself. “you just said the same thing three times.”

“sorry,” he muttered.

“it’s okay.”

“i hope so. i don’t want to slip right now. if i do, no ones gonna like it.” he scraped the last of his food with a sigh.

wonwoo thought for a moment, getting close to finishing his own dinner. he reasoned there were a lot of things bothering soonyoung and that if he did slip into littlespace, it would only be to throw a tantrum, just as he had threatened.

he wouldn’t be surprised if little soonyoung was bratty sometimes. it seemed like an outlet for soonyoung. he was more thoughtful and considerate when big, but when little, he voiced everything and did what he wanted, even if it meant getting scolded or punished. 

wonwoo couldn’t imagine himself doing the same. that wasn’t how it worked for him; he  _ hated _ getting in trouble. 

it wasn’t that soonyoung  _ liked _ being trouble, but he probably acted out so he could be put into place, needing someone to tell him what to do.

“you’re okay, though, right?” wonwoo asked. he wanted to be sure. he couldn’t stand the idea of soonyoung being anxious during all of this. 

the other looked up and realized that wonwoo was worried and he assured him, “yes, really, i am. don’t worry, won, please.”

soonyoung set his container aside and pulled wonwoo into a bone-crushing hug. 

they ended up discussing work and wonwoo’s job as an editor. soonyoung thought it was fascinating and asked if he could read any of the things he wrote, but wonwoo quickly denied him. 

after that, they talked a little bit about soonyoung’s schoolwork, the main cause of his actual stress. he described the topics he was excited to write about and the frustration that came with actually finding sources on such topics.

soonyoung even revealed his secret to balancing his schoolwork and de-stressing through littlespace: scheduling. 

like any student, soonyoung scheduled his stress breakdowns for times that were convenient for minghao so that the caregiver could take care of him. between all that time he spent little, he completed as much work as possible.

“that sounds unhealthy,” wonwoo murmured. 

“it is,” soonyoung confirmed. “i think it is, anyway. my therapist said that she didn’t like it either, but that she understood if it was the easiest thing i could do to manage burnout.”

wonwoo did have to give him that. college was monumentally chaotic and it certainly didn’t encourage healthy habits, so he figured that if soonyoung was okay, then his method would be fine. 

“isn’t it tiring?” wonwoo wondered. “myungho must be exhausted.”

“ah, well— he says he finds it fun. like, it’s relaxing to do something other than think about work. i really don’t think he minds, which is really, really amazing. i’m so happy he puts up with me, oh my god.”

throwing wonwoo a proud smile, he kept going, even if wonwoo couldn’t understand what he was proud of, “i can tell mingyu loves you, you know. i’m more observant than people think i am and i can tell that you're his first, second, and third priority. you’ve snagged a good one, wonu.”

quite thankful for the words, wonwoo flushed, “i know. i’m really happy with him.”

soonyoung’s fingers laced with his, and it was a peaceful bonding moment between the two, both having partners who would drop everything for their wellbeing. it was an oddly specific connection with soonyoung wonwoo didn’t know he needed.

once they started talking, wonwoo realized that mingyu was right about them clicking. soonyoung easily lead a conversation for wonwoo without leaving him behind or making him feel bad.

it wasn’t a surprise when their oh-so-loving partners interrupted them, though, minghao poking his head into the kitchen. 

“wonwoo-hyung, your boyfriend eats really well and he’s starting to eat  _ my _ food,” he said. “wanna switch places?”

“you’re still eating? slow,” soonyoung scoffed.

“that’s fine with me,” wonwoo agreed, amused by how betrayed soonyoung was at this.

minghao smirked, slipping back into the living room. mingyu reappeared, hugging wonwoo as the older was leaving. “did you eat, baby?”

he nodded, pressing closer and kissing behind mingyu’s ear. he pulled away and followed where minghao had gone, seeing the younger on the floor again and eating his food. wonwoo sat across from him.

“you won’t steal my food, will you?” minghao asked.

“no, i finished.”

“good.” minghao smiled, returning to his dinner peacefully. “hm, i think you’re better than mingyu. sometimes the quiet is just nicer.”

that was definitely amusing considering how quickly he and mingyu had become close friends. minghao could be quiet like wonwoo, but he and mingyu still got along.

“is he too much for you?” wonwoo chuckled. he understood if mingyu’s enthusiasm was strange and difficult to keep up with, but he almost expected minghao to be used to it having someone like soonyoung around.

“no way, but he’s not like you.”

“i feel like i’m constantly being flirted with here.”

minghao smiled deviously, “well, i’ve got to build my harem somehow.”

from there, the night passed pleasantly. eventually, soonyoung and mingyu returned and the four continued to talk until wonwoo found himself leaning on his boyfriend’s shoulder half asleep. it was tempting to nap, all warm and full of food, but he realized that if he actually fell asleep, he wouldn’t wake up until morning. 

once the others noticed, it was decided that it was time for them to go home. they still stood at the door and spent way too long saying goodbye, wonwoo draped on mingyu’s arm after the taller put on his coat.

minghao gave him a little pat on the head and giggled, which really didn’t help his sleepy state. “even if you’re a hyung, you’re a cute hyung,” he said before punching mingyu’s free arm. “bye nerd.” 

soonyoung’s goodbye for mingyu was much more friendly, side-hugging him with a cool, “see ya, bro.” he took wonwoo’s beanie from him and slipped it over the little’s hair, taking the opportunity to whisper into his ear, “next time, it’s a playdate.”

they took the subway home hand in hand. wonwoo sniffled all the way, complaining softly that he was going to catch a cold. mingyu called him silly, but he held his hand to keep it warm. 

mingyu hummed, “before you know it, it’ll be too cold.”

a smile tugged at the older’s lips, “you just want to put me in a big puffy jacket, stupid.”

“only because you’re adorable,” he whispered into wonwoo’s ear. “you’ll have to wear a big coat and your beanie and your cute little mittens. and you’ll be  _ so _ adorable.”

wonwoo raised his eyebrows, turning his head to look at his boyfriend. “is this the opposite of dirty talk?” he murmured, not quite believing that mingyu just whispered seductively into his ear about winter clothing.

mingyu giggled, all tinkly and bashful, and he only stopped once the ahjumma sitting a few seats down glanced at them, amused. it didn’t stop him from blushing and hitting wonwoo’s arm playfully.

the walk home was nice. they held hands and mingyu swung their arms back and forth, sometimes thinking aloud about the things minghao talked about. by the time they reached their front door, he resigned himself to just staring at wonwoo adoringly.

if wonwoo weren’t so head-over-heels in love with mingyu, then he might have been annoyed. alas, he loved him very much, and none of his showy admiration would change that.

mingyu dropped their keys in the bowl by the door, the couple slipping their shoes off and hanging up their coats. a little pottery cat, small and golden, sat next to the bowl, and wonwoo stroked its head with his knuckle.

“hello, goldie,” he greeted. “soonyoungie says hello, too,” he added.

“aw!” mingyu cried. “my boyfriend is just the  _ cutest.” _

“shut  _ up,” _ wonwoo whined. “i don’t want to be cute right now.”

mingyu whined back at him, and the two whined back and forth at each other as they drifted through the kitchen and eventually into their room. 

several minutes of changing and washing up later, the two laid in bed, wonwoo on top of mingyu. the younger was petting his hair while texting minghao, and wonwoo felt hazy and fuzzy in a good way.

it was too nice to think about anything other than falling asleep, knowing that he needed the rest, especially after going out after a long day. he knew that if mingyu kept up this pampering treatment in the morning, he would surely slip into his headspace, but he found that he didn’t mind the idea so much.

“you’re clingy,” mingyu murmured. it tore wonwoo out of sleep, and the older huffed, not wanting to give his boyfriend the luxury of an answer. “sorry, baby. sleep well…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure if i like this a lot but i am not about to rewrite 4200 words :( but this is an important part !! soonwoo bff agenda
> 
> regardless of how i feel about it, i hope you have enjoyed this installment ! <3 stay safe!


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow!! here it is!! our first official soonwoo playdate ! this is. way too long. it's just over 6k and i didn't exactly wrap it up properly, but there is plenty that happens anyway. 
> 
> i'm glad we can delve a little more into soonhao and wonwoo's more playful side with this. i plan to have these chapters alternate between big/little interactions, but i'm still excited for the next time we can meet soonie because i want to see him be the absolute brat he described himself as in the first chapter.
> 
> i only have two warnings/points to make: wonwoo has one episode after he wakes up from his nap, but it's short and there's no tears. if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, just tread lightly after the time break.
> 
> the other is that we get some more chinese phrases like in _ease._ i really did my best to have them Not Suck but i don't know chinese, so if you do and think something is wrong, absolutely tell me!

after a very successful dinner date, soonyoung finally requested wonwoo’s phone number from minghao, and they ended up texting frequently over the next several days, only solidifying their friendship. 

soonyoung was another pleasant distraction for wonwoo during the week. now, not only did he have mingyu to berate him during the day while he worked, he also looked forward to soonyoung’s messages, which consisted of improperly used emojis and sweet, flustering words. 

(the two— mingyu and soonyoung, that is— texted rather similarly. wonwoo was not about to complain about that, especially when he always felt happy during his text breaks, a stray butterfly or two fluttering around in his chest and forcing him to smile.)

in the evenings, soonyoung often convinced wonwoo to help him plan their next meeting. they decided that it would be the nearest saturday (after mingyu and minghao agreed) and that it would be at minghao’s condo once again since soonyoung had promised that wonwoo could play with his toys.

soonyoung eventually asked how long their playdate would be, and when wonwoo asked mingyu, the younger smiled and pinched his cheek. “however long you want it to be,” he cooed. 

he decided to pack an overnight bag.

before wonwoo knew it, it was saturday and time for his playdate turned sleepover with soonyoung.

he woke up that morning out of his headspace yet very excited. he had never felt more fond of his headspace until he had another little to spend time with. besides, he loved soonyoung as his littlespace hyung and couldn’t wait to feel that happy when little again.

still, it took a bit of coddling from mingyu before he really let go and slipped. the caregiver continuously stroked his hair and called him things like “little one” and “sweetheart,” his favorite names for the little.

when wonwoo tried to get up from their bed and pick out his clothes, mingyu sat him down again with a smile. “no, no, baby, little boys need help getting ready. just let dada take care of it.”

feeling his heart flutter and thoughts go fuzzy, wonwoo nodded and waited as mingyu picked his outfit for him. by the time his favorite blue sweater slipped over his head, he couldn’t even concentrate on babbling his words, too little to think about speaking.

mingyu cupped his face in his hands, leaning forward to nuzzle his forehead before he kissed the tip of his nose. “are you my little boy now? my sweet little one,” he cooed. 

wonwoo nodded, feeling giddy. no one actually told little wonu there was going to be a playdate since mingyu wanted to keep it a surprise, so he was merely feeding off big wonwoo’s anticipation.

actually keeping it a secret from little wonu was difficult, but he thought he managed to spare him the details of what was happening. he only seemed to realize that something fun was going to happen.

“so cute!” mingyu squeaked. “my good little boy, look how happy you are!” he kissed all over the little’s face. 

“dada, dada’s silly!” wonwoo exclaimed, his nose scrunching cutely.

“and do you know what’s special about today?” 

“uh-uh,” wonwoo shook his head.

mingyu smiled. wonwoo worked really hard to keep details of their preparations out of his little self’s hands. “well, there’s a surprise,” he said, trying to build anticipation. “do you remember the pottery store?”

“goldie!” the little gasped, speaking of his golden pottery cat. “we gonna go back?” wonwoo tugged on mingyu’s shirt.

“uhh—“ mingyu les himself be pulled, sitting beside wonwoo on their bed. “no. but you remember who you met there, right?”

if his eyes could have sparkled any more, then they did. “soonie-hyungie!”

“that’s right!” mingyu praised him. “well, me and wonwoo-hyung and myungho decided that you and soonie could have a playdate and sleepover.”

wonwoo gasped, “really?”

mingyu stroked his cheek, “really, really. we’re going to go there tonight and dada’s going to drop you off there. is that okay?”

without answering properly, wonwoo tackled his caregiver in a hug, overcome with joy. “t’ank you!” he exclaimed. 

he was so happy to see soonyoung again, especially since he would get to spend hours with him, getting to play with actual toys. and he would get to sleep with soonyoung, too, all without mingyu. it was so exciting!

they spent the morning getting ready. wonwoo finished getting dressed, wearing a pair of long overalls with his sweater and warm socks. 

the temperature outside had been steadily dropping throughout the week, much to mingyu’s delight. the caregiver was having fun dressing his boyfriend in more and more layers when they went out.

wonwoo’s backpack was filled with the littlespace things he wanted to bring: his notebook and markers, his pacifier, lots of extra underwear, his pajamas, a toothbrush, and his stuffie, yangi. 

mingyu resisted giving wonwoo his gum instead of his paci because he didn’t trust him to keep soonyoung from stealing it or to not choke on it. wonwoo didn’t protest when his pacifier was slipped in, though, so it wasn’t a big deal.

before they left their apartment, mingyu forced wonwoo into a puffy jacket, a warm beanie, and white mittens. 

mingyu loved wonwoo’s mittens. big wonwoo knew it was just because they made his hands look small and like little paws, but that was something little wonwoo enjoyed and went along with. as long as his hands were warm, he didn’t care. 

“pow, pow!” he whispered, hitting mingyu’s arm with his mitten-clad hands. “i got you, dada!”

mingyu pretended to be hurt, so wonwoo stopped his assault long enough to kiss the spot he hit. “sorry…”

“aw, it’s alright, sweetheart. you’re just so strong! dada’s strong boy.” 

“really?” he chirped in a small voice.

“yes! you’re amazing and strong, little one.” he made a kissy face at wonwoo before pecking him on the cheek, making the little blush shyly.

they finally left the apartment with wonwoo holding onto mingyu’s arm. it was colder outside than wonwoo thought it would be. the air made his nose run and the temperature made his hands shake, but he clutched mingyu’s hand to steady them.

the little didn’t feel scared on the subway. he fiddled with his mittens and looked out the windows— even if there was nothing to look at— to occupy himself. mingyu counted the stops and pointed them out to them as the train stopped.

wonwoo didn’t really remember how to get to minghao’s house, but he had mingyu to lead him there once they had made it to their correct stop.

one thing he liked about minghao’s neighborhood was how the building lobbies looked a little nicer than the ones in theirs. they had lots of big windows and pretty lights inside! wonwoo wanted to stop and look at some, but mingyu kept them moving so they weren’t late.

“are we there yet?” the little eventually prodded as mingyu stepped into a building. 

“yes, my heart, this is the building.” 

“yay, yay!” he cheered quietly, latching onto mingyu’s arm while they waited to be buzzed up. 

the elevator ride was short and uneventful, but wonwoo was still bursting with excitement, bouncing a little and smiling at nothing in particular. he _really_ wanted to see soonyoung and play with him with real toys! 

it would be even better with mingyu there, too, and he didn’t have to worry about how strangers would look at him since they weren’t going to be in public. wonwoo had never had an older brother, but he still knew that soonyoung was perfect.

when they knocked on the door, there was a lot of muffled happy yelling before soonyoung pulled the door open.

as soon as the little laid eyes on wonwoo, he squealed and brought him into a crushing hug, rubbing his cheek into his shoulder.

“hyungie!” wonwoo babbled, hugging him back after taking a moment to realize who he was.

mingyu ushered the pair inside, and wonwoo heard him greet someone else, a high, friendly voice responding from deeper in the house.

“oh, hey, you made it!” minghao called, stepping into the entryway to hug mingyu and gently pry soonyoung off of wonwoo. “hello, wonie, how are you?”

wonwoo smiled as a response before murmuring a shy, “good,” that drew a smile out of minghao.

“wonu, wonu! wanna go play?” soonyoung clamored, bouncing at minghao’s side. “can we go play now?” he tried reaching for wonwoo, but minghao intercepted him and held his hands to keep him from overwhelming wonwoo too quickly. soonyoung pouted.

mingyu helped wonwoo out of his coat, taking off his beanie and mittens too. he ruffled his hair and kissed his nose for good measure, something he seemed to enjoy doing every time he helped wonwoo.

after he was left in his regular outfit, wonwoo tugged on mingyu’s jacket sleeve to get his attention. “dada, can i play with hyungie?” he requested softly.

“of course, sweetheart, go play. dada will be with myungho.” 

wonwoo grinned and soonyoung reached out and took his hand, tugging the younger little further into the condo. he tugged him down a hallway to the last room on the right.

soonyoung’s little room takes wonwoo by surprise. it wasn’t very big, but it had everything he could ever need.

the walls were blue and they were covered with sticky, glow-in-the-dark stars. there was one full-size mattress that took up a majority of the room. it had low rails on the sides near the head and there were many unmade blankets piled on it. there were several pillows and stuffed animals.

there was one small dresser wonwoo assumed was filled with clothes. at the foot of the bed and underneath it were clear storage boxes full of different toys.

soonyoung fell onto his bed with a giggle and patted the space beside him for wonwoo to sit. the younger little sat carefully, not wanting to mess anything up.

“did ya bring anything with you?” he said, holding wonwoo’s hand. 

wonwoo suddenly remembered the backpack he had brought with him. he had his stuffie! he should get yangi so that he could show her to soonyoung.

wonwoo nodded and moved to slip off the bed. he padded quietly out of soonyoung’s room and nervously made his way back the familiar living room near the entryway. it almost felt like he could get lost in this place he had only been to once; like he might stumble into an unfamiliar room and never find his way out.

the idea made wonwoo even more nervous than before, but he trekked on, going into the kitchen when he realized no one was in the living room. 

mingyu and minghao were talking to each other. wonwoo wasn’t sure about what because they stopped when they realized he was there.

minghao was the first one to ask if he needed something, which quickly made wonwoo shy. the little drifted closer to mingyu, hugging on him a little as he asked, “can i have yangi?”

“of course,” mingyu assured him. he pointed to the living room, and wonwoo looked back to see his backpack sitting in the chair. 

wonwoo gasped and went back to it, unzipping it and taking out his stuffie that was sitting on top. underneath it was his pacifier, and he looked at it for several seconds before deciding to take it with him. 

with yangi secured in his arms and his mouth latched onto his soother, wonwoo stumbled back down the hallway, nudging open the door to soonyoung’s room.

the older little was still sitting in the same spot that wonwoo left him. he looked up when he came in. 

“is that your stuffie?” he asked, lighting up at the sight of yangi. wonwoo nodded and sat down again, petting her soft fur. “her name’s yangi, right? i remember from last time.”

wonwoo nodded again. he had a few stuffed animals now, more than when he first began regressing thanks to mingyu being willing to spoil him during the holidays, but he still preferred yangi over all of them. he had her longer than anything else.

“she’s pretty,” soonyoung marveled. he reached behind one of his pillows and pulled out a plush tiger. “i got this one from the zoo! his name is hoshi and he’s my favorite.” soonyoung passed the tiger on to wonwoo, letting him hold it while he got up.

soonyoung crouched down next to his bed and looked up at wonwoo, one hand already resting on the handle of his toy bins. “oh! do you wanna see some of my toys? you can pick something to play with!”

wonwoo got up so quickly he almost fell.

kyungmi, seokmin’s niece, played with a lot of dolls. she dressed up her stuffed animals and had pretend dinners with plastic food, made little dramas with her figurines, and was especially territorial over her princess dolls.

this was fine, except she unknowingly shared many of her other toys with wonwoo. 

wonwoo did not like to play with dolls. in fact, he wasn’t as enthusiastic about playing pretend, either. he never had the opportunity to play pretend beyond fake tea parties while little because he just didn’t have the means, the only toys he had access to being things that he didn’t like or weren’t his.

the most he got was a set of baby building bricks the size of his hand that he enjoyed making towers out of. it wasn’t much, but he liked the colors and how easy it was to make big things. 

soonyoung, however, had many options.

he taught wonwoo how to play with toy cars, rolling a plastic fire truck over the younger’s legs while making engine noises. 

though he could have been happy just chasing after soonyoung’s truck, delighted with how accurate his noises sounded, soonyoung convinced wonwoo to pick his own car to play with.

he settled on a wooden, blue car. wonwoo pushed it back and forth on the floor, unable to make much accompanying noise with his paci in his mouth. 

nevertheless, wonwoo watched how soonyoung played and made his own attempts to copy him. making the effort to push the car and imagining actually driving around was fun by itself, but soonyoung seemed to notice that wonwoo could have been doing more.

in order to get more active with his playing, soonyoung changed his seat until he was sitting across the room from wonwoo. he set his car in front of himself and held out his arms, beckoning his headspace sibling closer.

“hey, wonu— drive over here!” he urged him, patting the floor.

eager to please his hyung, wonwoo leapt up, crawling over to soonyoung’s spot with his car, making the toy “drive” all the way. 

when the toys collided, soonyoung imitated a crashing sound that made wonwoo giggle behind his soother. the younger little fell into his older brother’s lap while looking for a place to sit. 

“you like playing with cars?” he asked, nuzzling into the side of wonwoo’s head affectionately when he nodded happily.

“v’oom,” he gurgled in reply.

the two continued to play with each other for nearly two hours. wonwoo couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but he was enjoying himself by playing with each of soonyoung’s cars and even some of his stuffies.

after a while, a knock on the door startled both littles. 

“hello~” someone called, and wonwoo recognized the voice as mingyu’s. “how are things going in here?”

wonwoo gasped and turned to his caregiver, his pacifier falling from his mouth. “dada! dada, come look!”

mingyu chuckled and stepped into the room, sitting beside the two littles on the floor. wonwoo took one of the cars and held it up for mingyu to see before he drove it over his knee. “vroom vroom!”

“wonu loves playing with cars!” soonyoung exclaimed. “and he’s super good at it, too.”

“that sounds fun!” mingyu said, still entertaining his little to the side. “all that playing must be tiring, hm?”

soonyoung shook his head and looked as if he was going to defend himself, but minghao’s voice from the kitchen distracted them again. _“xiǎo xīng!_ i have snacks for you and wonwoo, will you come here?”

the little’s face lit up, and he scrambled to his feet, tugging on wonwoo’s arm to get him to follow him. “coming, baba!”

once he skipped out of the room, wonwoo turned to mingyu and held out his arms. “dada up?” he asked, trying to plead with his eyes. 

and, ultimately, mingyu always had a weak spot for wonwoo, so he picked up the boy and let him cling to his body. wonwoo hooked his chin over his dada’s shoulder, wiggling contentedly as he was carried across the condo.

he was dropped carefully into a chair, and when he looked around, wonwoo saw that he was in the kitchen at a small table for two or three people. soonyoung sat in a chair across from him with a small plate of cheese and crackers, grinning as he looked at wonwoo.

someone ruffled the younger little’s hair and he looked up to see minghao with a plate. the caregiver set it down and leaned down to kiss the top of wonwoo’s head. “eat some food, darling,” he urged him. “dada can make you a bottle before he leaves, how does that sound?”

wonwoo shook his head. he had already used his paci that day, but he wasn’t a baby! he didn’t need a bottle or anything. “no bottle,” he murmured shyly. “‘m a big boy.”

from further away, mingyu frowned, “are you sure? baby, it’s okay to use one, you have all three of us to take care of you for a bit.”

“yeah,” soonyoung agreed. “wonu’s with soonyoungie now. you can be as little as you want! that okay?”

fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater, wonwoo considered it some more. he had been looking forward to playing with soonyoung again, and the whole point of their playdate was so that they could be more comfortable in their headspace. 

if he was going to regress on his own free will, he should take advantage of it. drinking from a bottle certainly couldn’t be a bad thing, and it would be easier than drinking out of a regular cup, right?

wonwoo nodded, and minghao pet his hair for another moment before moving away to prepare something. mingyu brushed his bangs back and kissed his forehead before doing the same, not before encouraging him with a light, “okay, sweetheart. eat your snack, okay?”

wonwoo obediently picked up a cracker and started eating, feeling satisfied. he didn’t realize he was hungry before, but he was glad the caregivers called them to eat, his stomach growling for more when it realized he had food.

“baba, can i have milk, too?” soonyoung asked while he finished his plate, and minghao agreed.

after soonyoung had his sippy cup filled with milk, he turned his attention back to wonwoo. “‘s it good?” eating another piece of cheeze, wonwoo nodded. it was yummy. “that’s good.”

“aren’t you thoughtful, baby,” minghao hummed. wonwoo wasn’t really sure what he meant by that, so he kept eating his snack.

throughout the rest of snack time, soonyoung was uncharacteristically quiet, but wonwoo was too concentrated on eating to give it much thought. 

perhaps soonyoung had already tired himself out, wonwoo thought. they hadn’t done a whole lot per say, but wonwoo could tell that he himself was going to need a nap.

he wasn’t sure if his soonie-hyung would want to take one since he was older than him and bigger boys sometimes didn't take naps. 

regardless of whether soonyoung would have an afternoon nap, wonwoo was smaller and more easily exhausted than him, and if mingyu didn’t put him down to sleep before he left, he would find a way to sleep anyway.

before he knew it, wonwoo had finished his plate and a bottle of milk was being placed in front of him.

he regarded it hesitantly, just holding it for a few moments as soonyoung watched on, still drinking from his cup. 

the bottle wasn’t too big. it had some colorful shapes on the side and a blue top. unsure how to feel, wonwoo drank from the bottle cautiously.

the milk was warm and pleasant. wonwoo found the bottle easy to drink from, and he slowly relaxed into it.

mingyu wrapped his arms around wonwoo from behind, coaxing him to drink up. “is it good, baby?” 

wonwoo sniffled and leaned back into his caregiver’s chest as an answer, feeling the last of the tension in his body melt away.

soonyoung said something that wonwoo didn’t understand. he realized he was talking to minghao when the caregiver responded in chinese, coming over and placing a hand on the little’s shoulder.

 _“nǐ zhēn hǎo,”_ he crooned. “such a sweet hyung for wonu, right?”

“mhm!” the little replied. “wanna do everything with wonu!”

“something tells me it’s almost naptime,” mingyu said, watching his little become progressively more sleepy as he drank his milk. “soonie, do you want to wait until he wakes up again?”

wonwoo was conscious enough that he knew that meant soonyoung wouldn’t be with him while he napped. he didn’t want that!

anxious, wonwoo whimpered and nearly dropped his bottle from how quickly he reached out for his headspace brother, “s-soonie.”

eyes filled with worry, soonyoung zeroed in on wonwoo. he took one look at his teary eyes and there was no question that he couldn’t be separated from him. 

“no, i wanna sleep with wonie!” he cried. “please don’t make wonu sleep alone!”

“okay, okay!” minghao quickly appeased him. 

soonyoung got up from his chair and knelt beside wonwoo’s, wrapping him a hug and letting the younger little hold him back. wonwoo sniffled and held onto soonyoung’s shirt tightly.

“poor babies,” mingyu whined. he had taken wonwoo’s bottle and was waiting on him patiently, rubbing his back. “we should get you to bed.”

“we should,” minghao agreed. he patted soonyoung gently, “baby, come with me.” minghao moved towards the doorway once soonyoung shifted, but when the little didn’t follow, he frowned. “soon-ah, _gēn zhe wǒ.”_

reluctantly, soonyoung pulled away. wonwoo began to whine, but mingyu shushed him. the caregiver picked wonwoo up, supported his knees and back, and carried him after minghao and soonyoung.

they went back to soonyoung’s room where the little laid down in his bed, leaving enough room for mingyu to set wonwoo down beside him. 

wonwoo didn’t waste any time and snuggled up to soonyoung, hugging him and laying his head on his chest.

as he was getting comfortable, mingyu knelt beside the bed and stroked his hair, “daddy’s going to leave while you nap, okay? will you be alright with myungho and soonyoung tonight? i’ll pick you up in the morning, sweetheart.”

it took him another moment to consider that. wonwoo had never slept over with anyone except joshua and seokmin while little. he always slept with his dada. 

still, soonyoung was comforting and— at least from what he could tell— a great cuddler, and wonwoo could tell that myungho and soonyoung would take good care of him while mingyu was gone. 

timidly, wonwoo nodded. “okay.”

“can you say bye, won?” soonyoung encouraged him. he continued to pet wonwoo comfortingly along with mingyu. 

one of his hands reached out for mingyu. the caregiver took it and kissed the back of his hand. “bye-bye, dada,” wonwoo murmured. “love you.”

“i love you too, sweetheart. sleep well.” mingyu stood and kissed him on the cheek.

minghao took a moment to speak as well, “sleep well, darling. you too, my little star.” he ruffled soonyoung’s hair and then followed mingyu out of the bedroom.

“wonu sleep now,” soonyoung slurred sleepily, fingers still tangled in the younger’s hair. “‘nyoungie’s gonna be right here.”  
  
  
  
  


when wonwoo awoke from his nap, he felt re-energized and was in a less fragile headspace than before. 

soonyoung was the one who nudged him awake, squishing his cheeks and moving his head back and forth, “wonie~ it’s time to wake up!” wonwoo opened his eyes and saw soonyoung gasp, “you’re awake!”

“hi,” he whispered. his voice was a little hoarse from disuse.

“you said something!” soonyoung grinned. “good job, wonu!”

wonwoo blushed, feeling a little proud of himself. if soonyoung said he was doing good, then he must be! he smiled.

minghao’s voice interrupted their moment, “don’t be rude, soonyoung.”

soonyoung looked up, “i wasn’t!” minghao sits on the bed with wonwoo’s pacifier in his hand, raising his eyebrow at his little. “i was complimenting wonu for speaking up, right?”

that was true. soonyoung had never been mean to him before. he’d only been blunt a few times, but he never hurt wonwoo’s feelings at all. wonwoo nodded at minghao.

“soonie-hyung is nice,” he murmured. minghao helped wonwoo sit up and pulled him into his lap. “hyung slept with wonu.”

minghao hummed, “alright.” he rubbed wonwoo’s arm and held out his pacifier. “would you like your paci again?”

for a moment, wonwoo pouted, but he did want it, so he nodded. minghao happily clipped the soother to his overalls and slipped it into his mouth. afterwards, he booped the end of it, causing wonwoo to giggle.

“wonu looks cute!” soonyoung grinned, coming closer to love on wonwoo some more. he held him and rubbed his cheek against the side of his head, trapping the younger little with his affection. “baba, can we play now?”

“sure, what do you want to do?”

“can we play in the living room? i wanna watch cartoons. wonu wanna play there?”

wonwoo didn’t see any issue with it, “okay.”

“yay!” soonyoung cheered. “wonie, help me get the blankets please?”

they moved around. wonwoo picked up the blankets around him along with yangi who he found under a pillow. soonyoung did the same with a little more enthusiasm, leading wonwoo out of his room and into the living room. 

they spread the blankets out onto the couch and on the floor. soonyoung went back for some of his pillows and placed them on the floor too so they would have something more comfortable to sit on.

it was kind of weird to see minghao’s posh and stylish living room covered in fluffy blankets and stuffed animals. still, wonwoo was undeniably comfortable as soonyoung wrapped a quilt around his shoulders, making sure he was comfortable.

shortly afterwards, minghao returned to living room with a bucket of toys. he set the bucket to the side of the table and pulled a thick drawing pad and markers out and set them on the coffee table.

soonyoung gravitated towards the box. he took out a small bag of blocks and more toy cars, spreading them out in front of him. 

wonwoo shifted closer to the table, careful to keep his blankets wrapped around himself and yangi sitting in his lap. he really liked to color! even though he liked playing with cars, coloring was more calming, and he didn’t feel like doing too much after waking up.

as he was rooting around for the perfect color, minghao turned on the tv. at first, wonwoo didn’t think much of it— mingyu turned on the tv while he was over a lot! some of wonwoo’s favorite cartoons were on tv, too.

but he didn’t let his guard down. the sound kicked in and it was louder than wonwoo expected, and it was too sudden, even for little wonwoo. 

the little whimpered. he squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears, even after minghao turned the volume down.

wonwoo felt a flash of panic run through him, heightening his senses before dulling everything except the anxious ache in his chest. 

for a few crucial seconds, wonwoo couldn’t hear anything other than his heartbeat and no one touched him. 

slowly but surely, he uncurled from his protective ball and opened his eyes. minghao was sitting in front of him with a patient smile. 

wonwoo heard minghao’s muffled promise of, “it’s quiet now,” through his hands. 

by the time he took his palms away from his ears, he could tell that it really _was_ quiet again. the tv volume was on, but it was so low that wonwoo had to strain to hear what the characters were saying.

“hey, angel,” minghao said softly. “you okay?” minghao held out his hand for the little to take, waiting patiently for wonwoo to decide how he would answer.

the little felt much better already, but the urge to cuddle something and hold something tangible was overwhelming.

“darling?” minghao tried again, even softer. it sounded a little worried, like he was afraid he made it worse. but he didn’t.

wonwoo’s answer came in the form of him surging forward and hugging the caregiver, wrapping his arms around his neck and hiding his face as much as he could. he could see soonyoung watching them curiously, and hid away again out of shyness. 

(soonyoung had yet to see him upset, he realized. when the day finally came that he did, when he saw wonwoo have a breakdown or panic, would he be scared of him? or would he be just as eager to stick by his side? he tried not to think about it.)

but then minghao’s hands smoothed over wonwoo’s back with the intention of hugging him, and the little felt his skin crawl. he whimpered and wiggled until the caregiver’s touch fell away.

“i’m sorry, you don’t like it when i touch, do you…” wonwoo nuzzled a little closer. “you can just hold me if you want. you can hug me as long as you want, okay?”

after listening to the quiet noises of the cartoon for a few minutes, wonwoo looked up and saw soonyoung playing peacefully with his toys, watching the cartoon every now and then. 

wonwoo still wanted to hold onto something, but now he was restless enough to get back to his coloring. he pulled back so that minghao could see his face, and he was glad that the caregiver seemed calmer as well, happy now that wonwoo was happy too. 

wonwoo turned to the table where the colors were. somehow, despite his pacifier and lingering shyness, he managed to ask myungho to sit with him.

he soon found himself drawing a picture of a bunch of cars, minghao hugging him from behind lightly. the television volume had been turned up a little, but wonwoo didn’t mind because it meant he could hear better.

none of them did much talking, although soonyoung continued to play in his own little world, sometimes asking the other two questions or interrupting the quiet with a crashing noise.

after wonwoo filled several pages with his drawings, minghao announced that he was going to make dinner for them. soonyoung decided to keep wonwoo company while he did, abandoning his toys in favor of coloring some random flowers and doodles. 

they didn’t talk about what had happened, but wonwoo saw the care in soonyoung’s eyes as he leaned closer, looking at his drawing. “whatcha colorin’?” he chirped. 

“it’s a star,” he garbled in reply. “like hyung’s wall.” 

true enough, wonwoo’s paper was covered in blue and pale green stars, just like the ones stuck on soonyoung’s bedroom wall. he kept running out of things to color and he was already looking forward to seeing the shapes glow in the dark, just like a real sky.

“have you ever seen the stars?” soonyoung asked curiously. “like, for real?”

wonwoo couldn’t remember a time that he had. even on seoul’s clearest nights when he had tried to see them, it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as he had hoped. it would be nice to see a clear night sky, he thought. wonwoo shook his head in reply.

“they’re super pretty,” soonyoung hummed. “i like stars. they’re really cool.”

“pretty,” wonwoo echoed.

“baba calls me a star sometimes.”

wonwoo perked up. he did remember minghao saying that at least once. he thought minghao was good at giving cute names. “pretty and cool?” he asked of soonyoung.

“i guess i must be!” soonyoung gasped. “you can be a star! wonu is super cool, too!”

wonwoo grinned. he liked the sound of that. 

“do you wanna know what star is in chinese? baba taught me.” wonwoo nodded, suddenly curios. soonyoung knew so much. _“xīngxīng.”_

wonwoo had to take his pacifier out in order to try it. _“xīng... xīng. xīngxīng.”_

soonyoung clapped his hands together with a delighted giggle, “that sounded good! we should show baba! wanna come?”

soonyoung helped wonwoo stand and they both made it to the kitchen where minghao was finishing dinner. wonwoo held onto soonyoung’s shirt with one hand and held yangi in his other arm. 

“baba! i taught wonu something!” soonyoung exclaimed. 

minghao turned to them and smiled, “is that so? what did you teach wonie, _xiǎo hǔ?”_

with that, the oldest little nudged his little brother. wonwoo straightened and tried as best he could to speak out so minghao could hear him, _“xīngxīng.”_

“aw, that sounds perfect! you sound so good, darling.” minghao brought the both of them into a hug before turning back to the food he had been preparing. “now, are you two hungry?”

it was not mingyu’s fine cuisine, but wonwoo still loved minghao’s food, so dinner passed easily for the three of them, the littles full and sated for the night. 

there was still time before they had to go to bed, so soonyoung begged to watch a movie. they ended up snuggled on the couch, minghao with a little on each side of him silently begging for attention.

they watched a kid’s movie wonwoo had already seen before, soonyoung laughing along with it happily. it was fun just sitting with minghao, the caregiver constantly combing through wonwoo’s hair or rubbing his back while he lost himself in the film.

he nearly fell asleep before it ended, overcome with warmth and comfort with a blanket around his shoulders and yangi in his arms. 

he managed to stay awake, though, and soonyoung’s enthusiasm towards staying up even later after the movie ended disrupted his peace.

“soon-ah, it’s getting late,” minghao said firmly, imploring soonyoung to give in. 

“but it’s special! can’t we stay up a little longer? jus’ a little. ‘m not tired, baba.” 

wonwoo was tired. if minghao said it was bedtime, he would listen. however, he had to give points to soonyoung for his tenacity. 

minghao sighed, “wonie’s tired. you two need to get lots of sleep because it’s been a long day.” 

soonyoung whined and pouted, but he looked at wonwoo who must have looked pitiful curled into minghao’s side, muted by his pacifier but pleading with his eyes.

“fine,” he relented. wonwoo didn’t realize how much he swayed soonyoung’s decision making. “bedtime, then.”

minghao dug around in wonwoo’s backpack before finding his pajamas. he helped wonwoo and soonyoung change and made them brush their teeth before ushering them back into soonyoung’s room.

he tucked them in, the littles cuddled up much like they were earlier that afternoon. once again, they each received a quick kiss in the head. minghao left wonwoo with a gentle “sweet dreams,” and he cooed to soonyoung, “i love you.”

after telling them they could come find him if they needed anything, minghao left the room, turning off the lights this time and leaving the door cracked open.

the stars glowed. 

everywhere wonwoo looked, he saw glowing green stars— on the walls, on the ceiling, even on the dresser. there were planets and moons scattered among them, too.

gingerly, wonwoo sat up, entranced by the stars. he reached out and touched the sticker closest to him. he almost expected something to happen, but even when nothing did, it was still magical in his eyes.

“aren’t they pretty?” soonyoung whispered. wonwoo felt his hand rest on his waist.

the younger little nodded, tracing the star with his fingertip. just like his drawing. _pretty and cool,_ he wanted to say. _just like me. just like hyungie said._

“baba says they protect me when i sleep,” soonyoung added. “they’ll protect both of us.”

wonwoo smiled. he liked that. even when mingyu was away— his heart clenched a little at the thought of his dada— he still had people to look after him. he had soonyoung and the stars and minghao. 

going out on his own could be safe, too. he didn’t always have to lean on mingyu, seokmin, or joshua. he could trust new spaces, new people, and new experiences.

he just needed to learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow again! i hope it's satisfactory. i apologize if i have any typos and i'll most likely be back to reread and fix them.
> 
> i love soonyoung's character a lot considering this verse is very much wonwoo focused. i _love_ the word "starlord" and how it fits into soonyoung's character (and wonwoo's perception of his character), and i'm hoping that's another thing i can explore in the next few parts. 
> 
> i'm lowkey getting invested in these characters. the feedback i receive is amazing too. i appreciate everything i get from the works i post because when i first posted _home_ i felt like i was writing into a void. i'm proud that these word vomit agere fics bring other people comfort.
> 
> stay safe everyone! drink water, keep up with your sleep, be gentle with yourself. i had a lot to say haha. i'll see you around! <3


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